Newton on Proofs of Our Depravity

"It is a proof of our depravity that good habits are much more easily lost than acquired, whereas bad habits are acquired with ease but laid aside with difficulty."

"One of the greatest contradictions in human nature, and the very strongest proof of our depravity is, that the communication of extraordinary measures of divine comforts, which in their own nature have a direct tendency to humble, has, through our corruptions, sometimes a contrary effect...."

--John Newton, Letters of John Newton

Edwards on Pride

Jonathan Edwards on the danger and deceit of pride:

[Pride is] the worst viper that is in the heart...

[Pride is] the greatest disturber of the soul's peace and sweet communion with Christ...

[Pride is] the most hidden, secret and deceitful of all lusts....

What a foolish, silly, miserable, blind, deceived, poor worm am I, when pride works.

--Quoted in Humility: True Greatness, C.J. Mahaney

Edwards on Pride and Humility

An excellent quote from Jonathan Edwards on the difference between spiritual pride and Christian humility:

Spiritual pride tends to speak of other persons’ sins with bitterness or with laughter and levity and an air of contempt. But pure Christian humility rather tends either to be silent about these problems or to speak of them with grief and pity. Spiritual pride is very apt to suspect others, but a humble Christian is most guarded about himself. He is as suspicious of nothing in the world as he is of his own heart. The proud person is apt to find fault with other believers, that they are low in grace, and to be much in observing how cold and dead they are and to be quick to note their deficiencies. But the humble Christian has so much to do at home and sees so much evil in his own heart and is so concerned about it that he is not apt to be very busy with other hearts. He is apt to esteem others better than himself.

HT: Ray Ortlund

Pride Lamented

Oft Have I Turned My Eyes Within
Samuel Stennett, 1727-1795

Oft have I turned my eyes within,
And brought to light some latent sin;
But pride, the vice I most detest,
Still lurks securely in my breast.

Here with a thousand arts she tries
To dress me in a fair disguise,
To make a guilty wretched worm
Put on an angel's brightest form.

She hides my follies from mine eyes,
And lifts my virtues to the skies;
And, while the specious tale she tells,
Her own deformity conceals.

Rend, O my God, the veil away,
Bring forth the monster to the day;
Expose her hideous form to view,
And all her restless power subdue.

So shall humility divine
Again possess this heart of mine,
And form a temple for my God,
Which He will make His loved abode.